we have learned tonight that lance armstrong has offered to pay more than $5 million to the federal government to compensate for the fraud he allegedly committed against the u.s. postal service. the postal service paid more than $30 million to sponsor armstrong's cycling team from 1999 to 2004. their contract banned doping. we also understand armstrong offered to be a cooperating witness in a federal investigation. but our sources say that the department of justice has turned down both of armstrong's offers as inadequate. this is just the latest development as armstrong's career comes crashing down around him. he won the tour de france, sport's most grueling event, seven times. but late last year, the united states anti-doping agency produced evidence that the u.s. postal team ran what it called "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program the sport has ever seen." armstrong sat down for an

interview with oprah winfrey which will air on thursday, but today, winfrey spoke to charlie rose on "cbs this morning." >> did he confess? did he come clean in the manner that you expected? >> i would say he did not come clean in the manner that i expected. it was surprising to me. i would say that, for myself, my team, all of us in the room, we were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers. but i think the most important questions and the answers that people around the world have been waiting to hear were answered and certainly answered... i can only say i was satisfied by the answers. >> pelley: we have confirmed that armstrong offered at least a limited confession in that interview. we spoke to a rider who was once armstrong's trusted lieutenant. tyler hamilton helped him win the tour de france.

but in an interview for the showtime program "60 minutes sports," hamilton told us both he and armstrong used banned drugs and engaged in the illegal technique called "blood doping," when a rider infuses a bag of fresh blood during a race to beat exhaustion. would there have been a lance armstrong without doping? >> doping definitely helped him. a lot of people say, "okay well, everybody's doping so it was a level playing field." but that's not true. that's not true. doping took a lot of money. it took a risk taker. it took a lot of having connections. and a lot of people just weren't willing to make... take those risks. a lot of people didn't have that money, you know? blood doping, for example, took a lot of money. a lot of details. it took a posse of sophisticated know-what-they're-doing kind of

people. and lance had those. >> pelley: so most everyone at the top of the game was doping but not all the doping programs were equal. >> exactly. exactly. the people who run the sport were actually some of the dirtiest people involved and you know, they still run the sport today. it's pretty wild stuff. >> pelley: who do you mean? >> the u.c.i., the governing body of cycling. >> pelley: international cycling union? >> yup, yup. >> pelley: why do you say so? what did they do? >> there were a lot of favors made to lance, made to the team. doping cover-ups. you know, they had their sort of golden boy. they had their -- you know their ticket to a lot of money. >> pelley: and their ticket to america. it made america crazy about cycling. >> incredible. incredible. >> pelley: but it is your opinion that the u.c.i. would sanction the cheating as opposed to suffering the consequences? >> yeah. 100%. 100%. >> pelley: the international cycling union says that it has

established a fully independent external commission to look into the various issues and allegations against it. tomorrow, president obama will unveil his plan for curbing gun violence in the wake of the tragedy in newtown, connecticut. major garrett is at the white house for us tonight, and he has learned some of what's in that plan. major? >> reporter: scott, the president's wide-ranging proposals will deal with access to firearms and ammunition school safety, mental health awareness and treatment, and will also look at how the federal government and states conduct background checks, and the types of firearms sales subject to those checks. at the top of the president's list, all buyers, even those who purchase weapons at gun shows or from private dealers, must undergo criminal and mental health background checks. mr. obama will also endorse a ban on ammunition magazine clips which carry more than ten bullets. he will also seek a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. but the ban won't drive the

agenda. press secretary jay carney. >> the president will put forward a series of proposals that is not limited to one legislative action. >> reporter: would he sign a package passed by congress that did not include the assault weapons ban? >> he's not going to say that we have to move on this one or else we don't move on that one. there are a host of measures that we can take that can address this problem. >> reporter: the president will also ask congress for a tougher federal law against gun trafficking to penalize sellers who do not carry out thorough background checks. he will also seek more federal funds to facilitate background checks, more personnel to respond to requests for those checks, and more federal agents to inspect gun shops. in addition, mr. obama will offer schools and school districts funds to hire trained and armed security officers. he will also seek funds to identify and treat mental illness sooner. the president may suggest other ideas tomorrow, but this is the core of a plan he will introduce with school children here who wrote to him after the newtown massacre in sadness.

top officials here tell us scott, that every law enforcement official that was consulted said universal background checks would do the most good after newtown. that's advice the president appears to have taken to heart. >> pelley: major, those background checks and the background checks for mental illness seem to be the key to all of this. why does the president rely on that so much? >> well, because law enforcement officials, gun control advocates, and even those in the gun rights community agree-- the problem isn't always guns, it's the people who should not have them. 40% to 50% of gun sales, scott are in the private market, not controlled by federally licensed dealers, and only 2% to 10% of firearms crimes are related to long guns or big capacity ammunition clips. so if you have better background have guns don't get them, law enforcement, gun control advocates and others agree you will reduce crime and maybe get arms around this problem. >> pelley: major, thank you very much. well, new york state tried to get its arms around the problem today. it got ahead of the federal

government and every other state. governor andrew cuomo signed legislation tightening new york city's gun laws to, among other things, ban high capacity ammunition magazines and assault rifles with military features. and that's just the beginning. here's chip reid. ( applause ) >> reporter: the new york legislature acted more quickly than almost anyone had thought possible. many republicans who blocked gun control legislation in the past praised the law's tougher sentences for gun crimes, making the best of a bill they conceded was unstoppable after the tragedy at newtown. democratic governor andrew cuomo. >> i am proud to be part of this government, not just because new york has the first bill, but because new york has the best bill. >> reporter: the new law includes a requirement that private gun sales be registered with the state. it bans internet sales of assault weapons and limits ammunition magazines to seven rounds.

but the centerpiece of the law is a requirement for mental health professionals to report to state officials any patients who they believe are a danger to themselves or others. their gun cans then be confiscated by police. dr. paul appelbaum is professor of psychiatry at columbia university medical center. >> i think there's a very realistic probability that patients will simply avoid seeking treatment, or if they come to treatment, will sit there without disclosing what's truly on their mind for fear that, if they do, the state will know about it and consequences will follow. >> reporter: under the new law people who already own assault weapons that are now banned will be allowed to keep them but will have to register the guns with police. that's one reason senate republican greg ball voted no. >> what we did do is create an entire new category of illegal firearms out of firearms that are legal currently, and thereby turning law-abiding gun owners into criminals in this state.

>> reporter: there was a lot of legislative maneuvering to put this bill on a fast track but, scott, the fundamental reason this bill became law so quickly is that the legislators heard from their constituents who said that, after the murders of 20 innocent children, they wanted action now. >> pelley: chip, thank you. the national rifle association weighed in late today. it said it is outraged by the new new york law. the n.r.a. said the law will have no impact on safety. there is news tonight about another big battle, the one over the federal budget. a major credit rating agency fitch, turned up the heat on congress and the president today to reach a deal on raising the government's borrowing limit so it can pay its bills. if they don't, fitch threatened to downgrade america's a.a.a. credit rating. in syria tonight, no place is safe from the civil war. today, two explosions devastated the university in aleppo syria's largest city. more than 80 people were killed;

most of them were students. this war started two years ago as a popular uprising against the syrian dictator. correspondent clarissa ward has been working inside syria and is just back across the border in turkey tonight. clarissa, you've been talking to your sources. what can you tell us about the university bombing? >> well, scott, this university is located in a relatively calm part of the city that is under government control. but so far, we don't really have a sense of who was responsible for this attack-- both sides, of course, blaming each other. activists we spoke to saying that regime fighter jets bombed the university, but spokesmen for the syrian government saying that, in fact, it was rebel rockets that hit the school. one thing certainly is clear from this grotesque incident which is the exceedingly high price that ordinary civilians are having to pay for this civil war. >> pelley: about 60,000 people it's been estimated, have been killed, most of them civilians

and a great many more syrians are refugees. you spent time in a refugee camp in syria today. tell me, what did you find there? >> few people realize that tens of thousands of syrians are stranded along the syrian border. they're trying to come into turkey, but the camps here are all full, so they've had to make these makeshift camps on the syrian side. the conditions there are incredibly grueling, really quite wretched. no electricity, no heat, and we'll have more on that story for you tomorrow. >> pelley: and a long winter ahead. clarissa, thanks very much. help wanted. america's biggest private employers looking for more than a few good men and women. the earth is changing. we'll show you the new climate report. and what caused this massive pileup? when the "cbs evening news" continues.

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this has been medifacts for biotene. this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. >> pelley: two government agencies reported today the earth is getting hotter. 2012 goes down as the ninth warmest year on record. the average temperature worldwide was 58 degrees, and that's a full degree above the 20th century average. it doesn't sound like much, but it can affect the weather and sea ice. we have two reports tonight on how things are changing,

beginning with bill whitaker in southern california. bill? >> reporter: good evening, scott. people here in huntington beach, california, fear this beautiful pacific ocean, which creates their backdrop and their life- style, is becoming a destructive force. this was a king tide in december, and this is what it looks like today. >> well, the water was up to pacific coast highway. >> reporter: the high surf and tides occur when the earth moon, and sun align. but rising sea levels have pushed the tides higher and further inland. connie boardman is a college biology professor and mayor of huntington beach. >> along the southern california coast, we've experienced an eight-inch rise in sea level already. it's nothing that we can continue to deny. >> reporter: according to a u.s. government forecast, global sea levels are expected to rise one to four feet by 2100.

so it sounds like you're expecting these events to be more frequent. >> yes. >> reporter: so huntington beach is looking at putting in more pumps, more drains, planning for a wetter future. scott, nearly five million americans live within four feet of the current high-tide level. the mayor of huntington beach says the time to act is now. >> pelley: bill, thank you. we're also seeing more extreme weather. you expect rain in england, but last year was the wettest there on record. elizabeth palmer picks up the story in london. >> reporter: in june, britain celebrated 60 years on the throne for queen elizabeth-- a long reign for her, and for everyone else, a torrential one. the six and a half inches above average of rain in the u.k. is due to warmer air, says climatologist bob ward of the london school of economics. >> the warm atmosphere actually holds more water, and the global temperatures increased about... by about .7 degrees celsius in

the last hundred years, and that means it's holding about 4% more moisture. >> reporter: in 2012, 8,000 homes and businesses were flooded and whole farms disappeared underwater. north of london, a seal swam in from the sea across the flooded fields and was last seen 50 miles inland, still swimming. elizabeth palmer, cbs news london. >> pelley: we don't usually cover traffic accidents, but we'll make an exception for this one. 100 cars and trucks crashed today on two parallel highways in sweden. three people were killed and 20 were hurt. it was foggy and the pavement was slippery. the most famous skyline in the world is getting a new look. we'll show you in just a moment. >> pelley: wal-mart is attacking

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did flow on the martian surface a long time ago. the rover will soon drill into the rocks to collect samples for analysis. not far from the statue of liberty, a new new york landmark is getting a crown. construction workers today began installing a steel spire on the building known as one world trade center. that spire will make the skyscraper across from where the twin towers once, stood the tallest in the western hemisphere-- a symbolic 1,776 feet. a ten-year-old tipped the scale at 260 pounds until a special program helped him reshape his body and his mind. that story is next. next. see, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive... but when i started losing energy and became moody... that's when i had an honest conversation with my doctor. we discussed all the symptoms... then he gave me some blood tests. showed it was low

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my arches needed more support until i got my number at the free dr. scholl's foot mapping center. i'm a believer! and you will be too! go to drscholls.com to find your closest walmart with a foot mapping center. college. the northern california universities seeing a huge spike in students turning to sugar daddies. next weather talent appears at wx center w finally tonight, you know there's an epidemic of childhood obesity. today we learned it's a greater risk than we knew. a new ucla study says that obese children are nearly twice as likely to have related problems, everything from asthma to learning disabilities. that's why we were so interested in a story that seth doane brought us about a program that's bringing kids back from obesity.

that's why we were so interested in a story that seth doane brought us about a program that's bringing kids back from obesity. >> doctor told me when i was 7 and when i was 8, i wouldn't live past 21; and when i was 9, it just kind of hit me in the face, oh, i'm going to die. >> reporter: cameron larkins' had reached 260 pounds by aged 10. >> i would eat oversized portions. i would just eat and eat just because the food's there. >> reporter: larkins is now 12. he is the youngest of 15 students from his independence, missouri, school system who spent the last four months in south carolina at this $28,000 a semester weight loss program called mindstream academy. the day starts with a two-mile jog followed by a healthy breakfast and nutrition classes where students learn portion control and healthier eating habits. >> trying to motivate you a little bit... >> reporter: teachers check in remotely to keep students on track. >> choose to actually do something --

>> reporter: and in counseling sessions, teens share frustrations and feelings about their progress. and horseback riding is used to build confidence. why can't these lessons be learned closer to home, be learned without a price tag of $28,000 a semester? >> without an immersive program where you actually have an opportunity to begin to change the way a young person thinks, it would just be putting a band- aid on it. >> reporter: ray travaglioni founded mindstream. >> if they go home and they don't get the support that they need, they should be smart enough with what they learned here and realize how hard it was for them to get to this really good place that they never want to go back again. >> reporter: students are accepted regardless of their financial situation. the independence public school system pays $5,000 per student. the balance of the camp's tuition is made up through fundraising and family contributions. of the 34 teens who graduated from mindstream, 90% have maintained their weight loss. cameron larkins returned home to independence just before christmas, 50 pounds lighter.

what do you think would have happened if you hadn't come. >> i think i probably would have eaten and not changed my habits and they would just sort of have gotten worse and possibly eaten myself to death. >> reporter: his toughest test lies ahead, returning to his old school, trying to resist old habits. seth doane, cbs news, bluffton, south carolina. >> and that's the cbs evening for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night. >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald. good evening, i'm elizabeth cook. >> i'm allen martin. murder rates on the rise, officer moralizing, some say the new acting police officer in san jose is walking into a

no-win situation. but this hometown veteran cop on what he hopes to accomplish. len ramirez reports. >> reporter: the new interim chief is a san jose native with the department for most of his life so he understands the city and what the officers need. he says a couple of things need to be done right away, forge new relationships with the community and do whatever it takes to raise morale. san jose's new interim police chief is the man with the shiny brass, larry esquivel an east san jose native and 27 year veteran of the sjpd picked by the city manager to lead until a permanent replacement for retiring chief chris moore is hired. >> i did not apply for the permanent position but i am here and i'm here to lead until however long it takes to select the permanent chief. >> reporter: although highly qualified he told reporters he doesn't want the job for keeps. >> it was a personal decision and i have 27 years on and at the time it wasn't right for me. >> reporter: he takes control at a low point for the department.

the murder rate is the highest in decades. morale is skidding and the police union's own newsletter depicts the department as a sinking ship with 30 officers leaving within two months. >> the city, the mayor and the council aren't doing anything that's going to improve that. >> reporter: the union president says he is ceo develop is walking into a no- win situation but said the chief will have the support of the rank-and-file. >> i think they have a lot of respect for him. he has worked some of the most difficult assignments we have. he has excelled wherever he went and succeeded. >> reporter: he is ski develop will work to retain officers and renew efforts to work with the community to solve crimes. he says it's still a great police department and concerned about the perception that san jose no longer gives much attention to low intensity crimes like burglaries. >> perception is real for citizens and those type of property crimes, it's important to them because that's their livelihood. >> reporter: san jose knew for six months it would need to find a police chief. that search is